Iron rose awarded in the coburg district
Sandstone that blends perfectly into modern building structures, centuries-old half-timbering that has been brought back to life, and an ensemble of buildings that is unique in the coburg region – that's how the three winners of the iron rose, who were honored yesterday by the county of coburg, could be described in a nutshell.
Commitment, courage and perseverance are equally appropriate associations for the people who have dared to renovate old buildings, modernize them and put them to modern use. Three award winners could not have been more different from each other.
Stable house in untersiemau
One of them is the lorenzen family from untersiemau. Your house is around 120 years old and has been in the family for the same length of time. From the outside it looks like a smart new building. Only when the doves cross the threshold of the tower and the old sandstone floor and walls form an architectural symbiosis with the new structural elements, can you see why the iron rose was awarded here.
"We took over the house from the grandparents more than ten years ago. In half a year we have completed the roof trusses and other structural work. We worked on the exterior installations for another three to four years", explains dirk lorenzen. The architect also has his office in the house. The children's room of the daughter clara is on the second floor. "What convinced us here, among other things, was the combination of the existing structure with the fulfillment of today's expectations in terms of spaciousness and brightness", emphasized professor johannes korner. The architect and building expert is available to the district advisory board "the gentler village, the gentler town", with its expertise to the side.
This committee makes a pre-selection, evaluates the applicants and decides who gets the iron rose. Christine heider, the chairman of the advisory board, handed over the iron rose to the lorenzen family with a beaming face, together with district administrator michael busch (SPD).
Old half-timbered house in seblach
The house of martin burgsmuller in seblach presented a completely different picture. Here the age of the building could already be seen from the outside. A half-timbered house from around 1542 (date of fall of the oak logs used) and thus one of the oldest surviving houses in seblach, burgsmuller had renovated and modernized in five years and with over 6000 hours of his own work. For the trained civil engineer and historic preservationist
this building is, as he says, his "masterpiece" after the study.
"I still want to put an information board on the house and there probably the iron rose will get a place of honor", said burgs muller, who does not live in the house himself. Three apartments he rents in the half-timbered house in flenderstrabe. Expert korner emphasized the difficulties of renovating such a building: "this is an exemplary renovation in which the difficulty of integrating modern functions into an old building has been excellently implemented."
Sheepfold in maple
The final event of the day was the awarding of the iron rose to the forderverein of the geratemuseum des coburger landes for their many years of work on the ensemble of the old shepherd's hut. "Here the work is not yet finished and will probably never end, but with the award we want to appreciate the work done so far", stressed korner. Wolfgang dultz, chairman of the association, accepted the iron rose on behalf of the many helpers. "We will attach the good stucco with a small plaque to the former sheep house", said dultz.
Old sandstone, historic half-timbering or simply the challenge of an ensemble of several buildings – the iron rose gives value to the acceptance of this challenge.
Around the iron rose
History the iron rose has been awarded by the county of coburg since 1976. The award recognizes the commitment of homeowners of historically valuable and landmark properties to their high-quality restoration and appropriate use.
In untersiemau, the lorenzen family was awarded the iron rose for their renovated 120-year-old stable house in finkenweg and its conversion into a residential house with an office. In seblach, martin burgs muller was honored for the renovation and modernization of a half-timbered house dating from the 1540s. In ahorn, the forderverein of the geratemuseum was awarded the iron rose for its commitment to the old sheep farm.
